To Dream The Dangerous Dream
by Arana Mai
Summary: Helga has strange dreams that suddenly become real. *Finished!
1. It starts

bAuthor's Note:/b This is my FIRST story where I'm actually setting up chapters. WHEE HOO! Be proud of me, I'm a beginning fanfiction writer- person. Lemmie see. this is. number 6? Yup, my sixth one. Well, that I've posted.  
  
ANYWAY! I was sitting in my room one day, bored as hell, and thought about Hey Arnold. This is not out of the ordinary. So then, I thought, "HEY! What if Helga started to have weird dreams that suddenly became real or had deja vu? That happens to me all the time! So let's put Helga through it! AHOO! IMA GENIUS!"  
  
And that is the story of how this fanfiction came to be. Erm. Uh. Yeah. Please read and review! PLEASE? *Bambi eyes*  
  
Ooh! Look! Penguins! AND AUGIE'S GREAT MUNICIPAL BAND! Ahoo!  
  
*Begins to dance like a crazed Gungan.*  
  
bDisclaimer:/b I am disclaiming with this disclaimer that I don't own Hey Arnold. Lord Craig does. Not me. Craig. Me. Me no, Craig yes. GET IT? I HAVE BEEN DISCLAIMED!! Or. I have. Ummm. Yeah.  
  
center"To Dream the Dangerous Dream"/center  
  
The morning bell that signaled the beginning of class seemed to worsen Helga's throbbing headache. She'd suffered another sleepless night the evening before, the second one in a row because she had been haunted by horrifying dreams both nights. She groaned and put her head down on her desk.  
  
"Helga?" Phoebe's concerned voice rang in her ears. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm just peachy, Phoebe," Helga said, her voice thick with sarcasm.  
  
"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Nothing, Pheebs," Helga waved her away without looking up. "I just didn't get any sleep last night."  
  
"Okay," Phoebe said slowly. She turned to the front of the class as Mr. Simmonds stepped forward.  
  
"All right, boys and girls," Mr. Simmonds said, rubbing his hands together. "Who wants to come up and read their creative writing assignment from last night?" He glanced eagerly at Helga. No one bothered to follow his gaze.  
  
Helga looked up after a moment when she realized everyone had stopped talking. When she noticed that Mr. Simmonds was trying to prompt her to come up, she blushed a deep crimson and set her head back down.  
  
Mr. Simmonds frowned slightly and looked back at the other students.  
  
"Anyone?" He asked. No one volunteered. "All right then, pass them up."  
  
The kids did as they were told. Mr. Simmonds looked through them quickly, then frowned before he left Helga's row for the next one.  
  
"Helga, I didn't get your creative writing assignment," He said.  
  
"Huh?" She said, lifting her head again.  
  
"Your Iwriting assignment/I," Mr. Simmonds repeated. "Oh, sorry," Helga slipped it up to the kid in front of her.  
  
Simmonds placed the assignments on his desk and then leaned against it.  
  
"Now, as you know, we have our choir practice today, and I chose a song that hopefully you'll all enjoy," Mr. Simmonds said. "Let's go over to the auditorium and practice, shall we?" He opened the door and motioned for everyone to leave.  
  
Helga managed to drag herself around for most of the day. Nobody noticed her apparent lack of energy, and Helga was thankful for it. The last thing she needed was some dumb kid coming up and-  
  
"Helga?" The beautiful voice of Arnold rang in her ears. Helga looked up from her lunch.  
  
"What?" She asked, impatient but her head hurt too much to force herself to be irritable.  
  
"Are you feeling all right?" Arnold asked. "I mean, I noticed that you weren't exactly acting like yourself-"  
  
"Yeah, so what?" Helga snapped. She suddenly became overcome with dizziness. She held her head in her hands.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to make sure you weren't sick or-"  
  
Helga didn't hear the rest of what he said. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out cold on the floor.  
  
Arnold kneeled down next to Helga and felt for her pulse.  
  
"Helga!" Arnold said, shaking her slightly. "Helga, wake up!" He put a hand on her clammy cheek. "Somebody get the nurse!" He called.  
  
Brainy gave him a thumbs-up and ran off to get her. 


	2. Strange Dreams, Walks, and Psycho Refere...

Author's Note: First of all, I'M SUCH A MORON! I can't seem to get these HTML tags or whatever they are to work. So, until I do, you'll have to put up with THIS for emphasis on things and unbolded stuff and. yeah. Aren't I WONDERFUL with words?  
  
Second of all: I'm so glad you guys are enjoying my fanfiction! I was afraid you'd skip over it like it was cowdung or something. Anyway, before I get myself in more trouble.  
  
"To Dream the Dangerous Dream"  
  
Chapter 2: Strange Dreams, Walks, and Psycho References  
  
Helga sat alone on a bench in the playground, watching the other kids enjoy the free time they had before school. Sid and Stinky were playing on the monkey bars, Arnold, Gerald, Harold and Sheena were playing foursquare, and Rhonda and Nadine were contemplating Nadine's shorts (another fashion emergency, Helga guessed).  
  
Eugene came up from the street riding another new bike he'd received from his parents the day before. He rode it in a circle three times, and then crashed into the fence, falling into a heap.  
  
Suddenly, the school nurse sat beside her, babbling about something to do with consciousness.  
  
Helga opened her eyes and was greeted by the blinding fluorescent lights of the health office. The nurse was leaned in over her.  
  
"She's coming to," the nurse muttered to no one that was in Helga's line of sight.  
  
"What happened?" Helga asked, sitting up and holding her still throbbing head. The nurse tried to lay her back down but Helga shooed her hands away.  
  
"You passed out, dear," the nurse said. "Now why don't you just-"  
  
"Passed out?" Helga asked. "Where? And how did I get here?"  
  
"I brought you," said a voice from the corner. Arnold stepped out into the light. "And you passed out in the lunchroom, remember?"  
  
"I guess," Helga said, sliding down from the office bed despite the nurse's protests. "Man, I feel like I got hit by a truck."  
  
"Yes, you hit your head pretty hard when you fell out of your chair," the nurse said. "Would you like some aspirin for your headache?"  
  
"Nah," Helga said, waving the question away. "Headaches are like New Year's Resolutions. You forget about them once they stop hurting."  
  
"Okay," The nurse said slowly, puzzled by the rather strange comment. She watched the two kids leave and sat down at her desk.  
  
"So how long was I out?" Helga asked before getting cut off by the bell that meant the end of school. Helga winced slightly at the sound.  
  
"A couple of hours," Arnold answered, confirming what the bell had told her. There was an awkward silence. "Maybe I ought to walk you home," He said cautiously. "Just to make sure you're okay."  
  
"Eh," Helga said. "I'm over it, I don't need your help."  
  
Her knee's buckled. Arnold caught her in his arms.  
  
"I think you do," Arnold said, smiling slightly and standing her upright.  
  
"Fine," Helga said, stomping ahead. "Just don't get in my way."  
  
"Hey Arnold!" Gerald called from his locker. "Where are you going?"  
  
"I've gotta walk Helga home, Gerald," Arnold said. Gerald raised an eyebrow in silent surprise. "I'll call you later."  
  
"All right, man," Gerald said, turning back to his locker to finish putting his books away.  
  
"Come on, Arnoldo," Helga said tauntingly. "You're holding me up."  
  
"Sorry Helga," Arnold said, running to catch up with her as she walked out the door.  
  
"Yeah well you should be," Helga said sarcastically.  
  
"Helga, if you weren't feeling well this morning to begin with, why didn't you just stay home?" Arnold asked.  
  
Helga didn't answer for a moment. She couldn't tell Arnold it was because she wanted to be with HIM. But what else could she say?  
  
iCome on, Helga, think of something!/i  
  
"Because we. had. to start that new project today," Helga replied, lying through her teeth. Arnold chuckled.  
  
"Looks like you missed out on that," He said.  
  
"Yeah, guess so," Helga said, laughing nervously. iPhew!/i  
  
They reached the front steps to her house. She climbed them and turned back to look at Arnold before she opened the door.  
  
"Well. thanks, Arnold," Helga said.  
  
"No problem," Arnold replied. He smiled slightly and waved goodbye as he walked off.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said.  
  
"Yeah, tomorrow," Helga said, too softly for him to hear. She opened her door and slipped inside. She leaned back on the door after she was inside her home.  
  
"He smiled at me," She said dreamily. "And he said that he'd see me tomorrow." Helga swooned as she staggered up the stairs.  
  
As soon as she entered her room, she went over to her bed and collapsed upon it, falling asleep immediately.  
  
Arnold opened the door to the boardinghouse and stepped instinctively to the side, letting the wall of animals shove their way out the front door. After the last animal had left, Arnold walked into the boardinghouse. The normal sights, sounds and smells of the boardinghouse greeted him as he did. Grandma was cooking another one of her strange raspberry concoctions in the kitchen as Grandpa and Oscar argued about their game of checkers. Mr. Hyunn was saying something to Ernie about "creepy people," at the top of the stairs.  
  
Arnold went up the stairs and managed to sneak past Ernie and Mr. Hyunn. The sudden ringing of the phone surprised all three of them. Mr. Hyunn went to answer it, but Arnold stopped him with an, "I'll get it." He picked up the receiver and put it up to his ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Arnold?" The voice on the other end replied.  
  
"Hey Gerald. What's going on?"  
  
"I just saw Eugene," Gerald said. "He got ANOTHER bike from his parents."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah," Gerald said. "How many bikes are they gonna buy that kid?"  
  
* * *  
  
Helga was in the halls of P.S. 118, getting things out of her locker. Phoebe stood next to her, telling Helga everything she'd missed the day before. Stinky was getting a drink of water at the drinking fountain, and Sid was standing next to him. Rhonda was speaking to Nadine about Gerald's hair as she tried to open her locker. It was jammed, and she pounded on it, annoyed.  
  
Arnold and Gerald entered the building, talking about the baseball game that they would be playing later on in the week. Gerald and Arnold were nearing Rhonda, who, after a few knocks, had just managed to open the stubborn locker. She didn't notice Gerald walking up, and the locker door slammed itself into his face. Helga couldn't keep herself from laughing.  
  
"Helga! WAKE UP!!" Miriam yelled from downstairs. Helga's eyes snapped open.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm up!" Helga shouted back. She rubbed her head, which felt significantly better than the day before. "Yeesh. What a stupid dream."  
  
Helga threw her covers back and paid a visit to her Arnold shrine she kept hidden in her closet, along with her volumes of Arnold-inspired poetry. She sat down before the small shrine and stared longingly at it.  
  
Before a word could be uttered, Miriam suddenly opened her closet door and peered down at her daughter. Helga managed to hide the shrine behind her.  
  
"What is it, Miriam?" She snapped.  
  
"Helga, I just wanted to say-" Miriam's face went blank. She knitted her brow. "Well, gee, I just forgot what I was going to tell you. Never mind."  
  
Helga raised her eyebrow as Miriam exited her closet and walked dumbly out of her room. Helga shook her head in disgust and threw on her clothes.  
  
As she straightened her bow and pigtails, she hurriedly grabbed her knapsack, threw it over her shoulder and left her room. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen and saw Miriam talking to none other than Arnold! 


	3. Dreams Become Reality

AUTHORS NOTE: Wow, this is having a lot more positive response than I thought it would. YOU LOVE ME! YOU REALLY LOVE ME! *wipes away a tear and receives her Oscar*  
  
Agh, I can't think of a title for this chapter.  
  
Disclaimer: Hey Arnold isn't mine. If it was mine, then I'd be really happy and wouldn't HAVE to write fanfictions because it'd be MINE!! ALL MINE! NOT YOURS! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!  
  
Chapter 3: "Dreams Become Reality"  
  
"Oh, hey honey!" Miriam said. "I just remembered what I was going to tell you. Your little friend Archie came to walk you to school! Now isn't that nice?"  
  
Arnold raised an eyebrow at Helga's mother as Helga said, "His name is Arnold, Miriam."  
  
Miriam walked to the blender and started to concoct another one of her strange smoothies. "Uh huh, th-that's nice, dear." She paused a moment, thinking. "Now, what else did I need to tell you? Oh yes! Your lunch is on the counter, dear."  
  
Helga eyed the lunchbox and cautiously opened it up. It was empty. She wasn't very surprised. Helga scowled and said, "It's empty, Miriam." Miriam put some watermelon and Tabasco sauce into the blender and pondered that a moment, then said, "Did I? Oh gosh. I must've forgotten to make it last night. I'm sorry."  
  
Helga opened up the refrigerator and pulled out a sandwich she had made for just such occasions. She grabbed a can of soda and threw the two into the empty box and slammed the lid shut.  
  
"Well, are you coming or not, football head?" Helga said as she went for the front door. Arnold walked through the front door and out onto the sidewalk with Helga. As he walked up next to her, he asked, "Does she usually do that?"  
  
"What, forget to make my lunch?" Helga replied. She shrugged. "Yeah. Like I said, Miriam isn't 'World's Best Mom' material."  
  
"Why was she putting Tabasco sauce in her fruit smoothie?"  
  
"You got me," Helga said.  
  
"I see."  
  
Helga quickly left Arnold as soon as they reached the school grounds and went over to Phoebe. Gerald approached Arnold as soon as Helga was out of earshot.  
  
"You walked her to school?" He asked in disbelief. Arnold shrugged and said, "Yeah Gerald. It's no big deal-"  
  
"No big deal?" Gerald said just a little too loud. He shook his head. "Man, you just walked the only girl in the whole school who despises you to school! Are you sure you weren't the one who hit your head yesterday?"  
  
"Hey Arnold and Gerald!" Harold screamed from a foursquare court. Sheena stood next to him. "Wanna play foursquare?" Arnold and Gerald exchanged glances and shrugged.  
  
"Sure!" Gerald said. The two boys walked over to join the other students and they started their game.  
  
Helga watched from a bench off to the side.  
  
"Helga, I do hope you're feeling better?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Yeah Pheebs, I feel great," Helga mumbled, watching Arnold in a daze.  
  
"Nadine!" Rhonda's snotty voice carried over to where Helga and Phoebe were. "Look at your shorts!" Rhonda's "sidekick" glanced down at her shorts.  
  
"What's the matter, Rhonda?" Nadine asked.  
  
"Nothing," Rhonda said. "Except that they totally clash with your outfit!"  
  
The argument continued. Helga didn't pay much attention.  
  
"Pardon me, Helga," Phoebe said. "But I must leave to return a few books back to the library. I'll be back soon."  
  
"All right, Phoebe," Helga said. "I'll meet you at my locker in five minutes. You can fill me in on what I missed there."  
  
"Leaving!" Phoebe sang as she walked away with her books.  
  
Helga scanned the playground thoughtfully. She listened to Rhonda and Nadine's discussion with half an ear. She saw Sid hanging upside down on the monkey bars. Stinky laughed as he sat on top of them.  
  
Helga frowned. This scene seemed awfully familiar.  
  
Eugene rode up on a nice new bike. Helga raised an eyebrow. Another one? She thought as she watched the redhead steer the bike in a circle three times and flop over on its side. She chuckled slightly as she stood and picked up her knapsack and left for the halls.  
  
Helga suddenly froze and turned back to survey the scene again. Hadn't she dreamt this after she had collapsed in the cafeteria? She pondered a moment, and then shrugged it off. She probably hit her head too hard yesterday.  
  
Helga went into the halls and saw Phoebe waiting patiently by Helga's locker. Helga smiled slightly and went over to meet her friend.  
  
"Hey Pheebs," Helga said. She opened her locker and put her books inside. "What'd I miss?"  
  
"Well, after you passed out and Arnold sent Brainy for the nurse, Arnold attempted to carry you over to the health office, but was unsuccessful. Harold laughed at him and said. I believe it was, 'Hah hah, Helga passed out! Whassa matter Arnold, is she too heavy for you?' To which Arnold replied, 'Come on, Harold! This is serious! I've got to get her to the health office.' Harold quickly shot back, 'Well don't think I'm gonna help you! I might die if I touch her!' Arnold simply rolled his eyes and managed to carry you to the health office alone."  
  
"Pink Boy strikes with stupidity again, eh Pheebs?" Helga asked.  
  
"I suppose that would be one way of putting it," Phoebe said.  
  
Helga leaned against her locker and listened to Phoebe's report with half an ear.  
  
"Nadine, what do you think of Gerald's hair?" Rhonda asked from the other side of the hall.  
  
"I don't know, Rhonda, I guess-"  
  
"BIG fashion no-no, Nadine!" Rhonda said, pounding on her jammed locker.  
  
"Boy howdy Stinky!" Sid said, standing next to the drinking fountain as his friend sipped from the nozzle. "I can't wait to go to the park with Sydney today!"  
  
"I reckon you might have a right dandy time," Stinky said. "But I ain't no good at catchin' them frogs."  
  
"What can you do, Stinky?" Sid asked jokingly.  
  
"Well, I can burp 'On Moonlight Bay!'"  
  
Helga rolled her eyes. Phoebe continued to report  
  
"What is WITH this LOCKER?!" Rhonda said to no one in particular as she pulled on the blasted thing.  
  
Arnold and Gerald had just entered the building and were passing by Rhonda and Nadine when Rhonda finally got the jammed locker door open.  
  
"-Baseball game next week against Wolfgang and Ludwig-" Arnold was cut off as the locker door swung back and hit Gerald square in the face. He fell back onto the floor.  
  
"Oh gosh!" Rhonda cried. "Gerald, I'm so sorry!"  
  
Arnold helped Gerald up as Gerald said, "It's all right, Rhonda."  
  
Helga couldn't stop herself from laughing hysterically. Phoebe even let out a chuckle.  
  
Helga cut herself off short. There was no denying this time that what had just had happened occurred the night before in her dream. Phoebe noticed something was on her mind and asked, "Is something wrong, Helga?"  
  
"Yeah Phoebe," Helga said, staring at Arnold and Gerald. "I could've. I dreamt about this last night!"  
  
"What do you mean, Helga?" Phoebe asked, intrigued.  
  
"Nothing," Helga said, shaking her head. "Nothing at all." Phoebe raised an eyebrow as the bell rang for class. The students scurried off to their rooms, Helga included. 


	4. More Dreams

AUTHORS NOTE: All right, it was hard as hell doing it, but I finally managed to write a fourth chapter to my wonderful, HIGHLY SUSPENSEFUL first ever chapter fanfiction! WHEE HOO! With the start of school and me being able to see my friends less than last year, it's been REALLY hard for me to write. They're my INSPIRATION! And now they're GONE!! NOOOO!  
  
*Sigh* I manage to pull through without them, though. BARELY. ;) Hey, I know! I'll take applications for NEW ones! WANNA BE MY FRIEND?!  
  
Okay, Enough of that. Anywhoo, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hey Arnold. All rights and characters belong to Craig Bartlett. The story idea is mine, though. ALL MINE! I'd get more creative with this, but I have semi-writer's block or whatever. BRAIN FART!  
  
Chapter four: "More Dreams"  
  
Mr. Simmons was already in the classroom when the students entered. He seemed very excited about something. That meant that class was going to be boring. He'd probably go on about something "special" all day.  
  
"All right class," Mr. Simmons began. "We're going to learn something very special today!" Helga smiled inwardly. "We're going to be focusing mainly on Social Studies today!"  
  
"But Mr. Simmons," Lorenzo piped up. "My schedule says that for an hour every morning you teach Math, followed by a half hour of-"  
  
"Yes Lorenzo, I know," Mr. Simmons said soothingly. "But today we need a whole day for what we're going to cover in this subject!"  
  
"So what activities do you have planned to cover that curriculum, Mr. Simmons?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Curriculum?" Stinky asked. "Why that's a two dollar word!"  
  
"Well, for social studies-"  
  
Helga found herself nodding off during his "special" speech. They actually had a person come in and tell them all about the Civil War. Helga found it pretty interesting, but had trouble staying awake. She dozed off during the man's lecture. Fortunately, no one had noticed.  
  
As she wandered the halls after the lunch bell had rang, she spotted Arnold going into the cafeteria. Helga darted into a nearby bathroom and, after checking to make sure no one was in any of the stalls, pulled out her locket.  
  
"Oh Arnold!" Helga said lovingly to the locket. "How I wish that you would notice me as you push past everyone in the crowded halls. How I wish that I could call out your name and you would come to me and-"  
  
She heard a strange sound coming from one of the stalls. It was like rubbing a wet hand against a balloon. Helga walked over and opened the door to a stall and Sid sat behind it, putting his feet up on the toilet seat to hide his presence. Unfortunately, when his foot slipped and went into the toilet bowl, he gave himself away. Sid grinned sheepishly as Helga stood staring at him in shock.  
  
Helga shot up and looked around. She was on the playground. Phew! It was only a dream!  
  
She froze. How could she be relieved by the fact that it was a dream? What if it would become real, just like the other two?  
  
Helga heard a scream. She glanced up and to her left. Helga saw a man who was on a ladder when hanging a sign come crashing down on Stinky. The kids gasped and ran over to see if the boy was okay, Helga included. Arnold stopped her halfway and began to chant her name. "Helga. Helga. Helga..."  
  
"-...Helga... Helga!"  
  
Helga opened her eyes and looked up. She saw Arnold standing above her.  
  
"What do you want, football face?"  
  
"It's time for lunch," Arnold said, indicating the empty desks around him. "You fell asleep."  
  
"Yeah, well," Helga stood up and stormed out the door. "Thanks for nothing, you stupid football head." Arnold sighed and walked out the door after her.  
  
Helga ran up ahead and into the bathroom. She sighed romantically and pulled out her locket.  
  
"Oh Arnold...!" Helga stopped herself from saying more and immediately crossed over to the third stall. She opened the door and saw a sheepish Sid sitting on the toilet with a Polaroid camera. In shock, she dropped her locket, where the glass shattered on the floor. Helga turned and ran.  
  
As she left the bathroom, she ran straight into Gerald. They both fell in a pile in the hall.  
  
"Helga?" Gerald said, getting to his feet and helping Helga up.  
  
"Sorry Gerald, didn't see you there," Helga mumbled. Gerald raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Helga, are you all right?" Gerald asked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm great, never been better."  
  
"Because I think you might've hit your head too hard yesterday when you fell-"  
  
"Do you know where Phoebe is?" Helga asked, cutting him off. Gerald shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, she just went in the cafeteria looking for you," He replied.  
  
"Thanks Gerald," Helga said, patting his shoulder and heading towards the cafeteria.  
  
Dr. Bliss was just stepping out of Principal Wartz's office as Helga walked by. Bliss spotted Helga and went to stop her.  
  
"Oh Helga!" Dr. Bliss exclaimed in her calming voice. "I'm glad I found you."  
  
"Dr. Bliss?" Helga said, puzzled. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, I was heading over to P.S. 119 and thought I'd stop and say hello to you."  
  
"That's great and everything, but I really have to go-"  
  
"I also wanted to remind you that our appointment is today after school," Dr. Bliss said. "Since you were late to our last one."  
  
"All right, thanks Dr. Bliss. I'll see you then."  
  
Dr. Bliss nodded and walked away. After watching her leave, Helga took off and ran into the cafeteria. She quickly scanned the room and located Phoebe at a nearby table. Phoebe looked up when Helga approached her.  
  
"What is it, Helga?" 


	5. Meetings With Friends and More Deja Vu

AUTHOR'S NOTE: All right, after a nice, long two-day visit to Laughlin, I am back with the next chapter! AND!!! I stayed on the NINTH floor of a hotel, and I didn't FREAK OUT! YEAH! GO ME!  
  
*Ahem*  
  
This chapter came a lot easier than the last one, so it's better written, and it should be easier to write the others.  
  
Anyway, I've still got at least three to four chapters left before this story is finished. The best part is soon to come! Keep your ears pricked and eyes alert! Ciaos!  
  
DISCALAIMER: *singing* Oooooh, Hey Arnold ain't mine... I wish it was, because if it was mine I'd be one rich chikki! YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! GIVE ME ARNOLD ONE MORE TIME!  
  
Oops. I went crazy again, baby.  
  
CHAPTER FIVE: "Meetings With Friends and More Deja Vu"  
  
"What is it, Helga?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Phoebe, I need your help," Helga replied quickly as she sat down next to Phoebe at the table.  
  
"Okay Helga... What seems to be the problem?"  
  
"Well see, I've been having these dreams that are really weird, but it turns out that they're not really DREAMS!"  
  
"Helga, are you telling me that what you dream becomes reality?"  
  
"Yeah! It's like they're foretelling the future or something!" Helga said.  
  
"Fascinating!" Phoebe said, suddenly excited.  
  
"Yeah, but what if I dream about something bad?" Helga said, suddenly becoming panicky. "What if I dream about someone getting hurt o-or dying? I mean, just a few seconds ago, Sid overheard me in the bathroom... talking about... you know!"  
  
Phoebe gasped and looked over to Arnold, who was sitting at a table with Stinky and Harold. Gerald walked over to join them.  
  
"You mean... him?" Phoebe asked softly.  
  
"Yes!" Helga said desperately. "So what can I do?"  
  
"Well, I'm not sure I'm the one you should be talking to," Phoebe said. "I don't really know about this sort of thing, Helga. Perhaps you could talk to your parents-" After catching the skeptical look from Helga, Phoebe quickly dropped that suggestion. "-Or someone else who knows more about the way the human mind or subconscious works."  
  
"That's crazy, Pheebs," Helga said, waving her hands in the air. "Where am I going to find-" Helga cut herself off and thought a moment. "Dr. Bliss!"  
  
"Arnold!" Sid yelled, walking up to Arnold's table. One of his Beatle boots was soaking wet. In his hands were a few pictures taken with one of those quick-develop cameras (you know, the ones where you take the picture and it pops right out. I can't think of what its called.).  
  
Arnold and the rest of the boys at the table turned.  
  
"What is it, Sid?" Arnold asked.  
  
"You are not going to believe what just happened!" Sid exclaimed, handing the Polaroids to Arnold. Arnold glanced at them and gave Sid a skeptical look.  
  
"You can't even tell what's in them," he said, flopping them onto the table.  
  
Indeed, he was right. The picture had been taken through a crack (the crack between the stall door and wall), and what could actually be seen was horribly out of focus. Basically, the only thing that was in the picture was a giant pink blob.  
  
Arnold looked up at Sid.  
  
"Sid, were you hiding in the girl's bathroom again?" He asked. Sid fidgeted.  
  
"Maybe." He said. "But that's not the point. The point is, I just discovered something unbelievable!"  
  
"What was it?" Gerald asked, slightly interested but still expecting a tall tale.  
  
"Helga likes you, Arnold!" Sid exclaimed.  
  
The boys at the table stared at him a moment, and then began to laugh hysterically.  
  
"Y-You're kidding, right?" Gerald said. "I mean, how can Helga like Arnold?"  
  
"Yeah Sid, I think you were seeing things," Arnold said.  
  
"No guys! I'm telling the truth!"  
  
"Sure you are!" Harold said. "And birds fly!"  
  
"Um, Harold?" Stinky said. "Birds do fly."  
  
"Oh... well... Then pigs fly!"  
  
"Yeah Sid," Stinky said. "I mean, how can Helga like Arnold? She hates him!"  
  
"Maybe you were thinking of Gloria," Gerald said. "And maybe she was talking about an Arnold from P.S. 119 or 117."  
  
"I guess," Sid sighed, giving up on his latest proclamation. He looked over to the table where Helga and Phoebe were sitting. He watched them leave with a sort of weird fascination.  
  
Park and Curly came up to the table, Park carrying a tray of food, and Curly puzzling over a bag of Ranch Corn Nuts.  
  
"Hey Park, hey Curly," the gang at the table muttered.  
  
"Hey guys!" Park said, smiling and sitting down with them. "Hope you don't mind if we lunch with you today."  
  
"Yeah, ever since Rhonda let the geeks have free reign-" Arnold and Gerald exchanged looks. "-We've had to go from table to table, begging for a seat. Do you know what the occupants of it say? 'Away with you! There's no room for you at this table!'" Silence reigned. Park grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Stop being so melodramatic, Curly," Park said. "Sit down."  
  
"Melodramatic?" Stinky said, scratching his head. "That's a two dollar word! What's it mean?"  
  
"It means being overly dramatic," Sid replied. "Or overreacting. Basically, if you looked 'melodramatic' up in the dictionary, you would see Curly and Rhonda's name under it."  
  
Curly heaved a romantic sigh.  
  
"Ah, my fashion-obsessed love goddess!" He said. After a moment, he focused his attentions onto his bag of Corn Nuts. He opened it and pulled one out, studying it fastidiously. "What is it with Corn Nuts? Are they corn?" Curly's eyes darted around the table suspiciously. "Or are they nuts?"  
  
Park stood to empty his tray in the nearby trashcan.  
  
"Well gee Curly," Park said. "I thought only male corns would have the-"  
  
Before he could say another word, he was plowed into, by accident, of course, by Eugene. They both landed in a heap on the floor.  
  
"I'm okay," said Eugene after a moment.  
  
"Yes, Dr. Bliss would seem like the appropriate selection to help you with a dilemma of this nature, Helga," Phoebe said.  
  
"And I have an appointment with her today after school!" Helga said. "I can bring it up with her then."  
  
"That would be wise," Phoebe agreed.  
  
The two girls sat down on a nearby bench. Helga looked up and saw a man on a tall ladder hanging a sign that said, "Don't wait until it's too late! Buy Your Yearbook Today!" She frowned. It wasn't the same man from her dream, was it?  
  
Helga continued to watch that area and saw Arnold, Stinky, Gerald and Sid walk out of the cafeteria. Stinky was trying to fish something out of the depths of his pocket. He stopped right next to the ladder and tried to get it out as the other boys walked on.  
  
The man on the ladder let out a yelp as he lost his balance and the ladder tipped backwards and slowly began to fall. Helga was prepared for this and leaped out to save Stinky.  
  
"STINKY!" Helga shouted. "Get outta the way!"  
  
Stinky gave her a dazed look and looked up at the ladder as it tumbled down. Helga quickly shoved him out of danger. The ladder fell just a few inches away from their feet. Helga stood up and dusted herself off as Stinky got to his feet. A small crowd had gathered around to make sure that the man on the ladder was okay.  
  
"You okay, Stink-o?" Helga asked.  
  
"Why Helga," Stinky said. "I reckon you just saved my life!"  
  
"Yeah right," Helga snorted. "You wouldn't have DIED Stinky.  
  
"Perhaps a couple of serious injuries," Phoebe piped up. "And MAYBE critical brain damage, but not death."  
  
Arnold and Gerald walked over to the couple.  
  
"Are you guys okay?" Arnold asked.  
  
"I'm fine, thanks to Helga," Stinky said.  
  
"Yeah, well don't think I'll do it again, Stinky!" Helga said, putting up her tough-girl façade once again. "You caught me on a good day."  
  
Helga stormed off as Arnold, Gerald and Stinky watched. Stinky sighed romantically.  
  
"Now do you see why I fell in love with her?" Stinky asked dreamily. Gerald and Arnold only eyeballed him. 


	6. Ideas and Discoveries

AUTHORS NOTE:  
  
Well, I thought I'd say something to one of the reviewers... he's the only one I've seen thus far that I have something to say to, so here goes.  
  
MTD: Re: your second review. I'm not trying to prove my "vast knowledge of the show." If I wanted to do that, then I'd be listing off all these events that happened in other episodes that had nothing to do with the plot. For example, I might write a dialogue with... Erm... Sid and Helga.  
  
Sid: Admit it, Helga. You like Arnold. You know you do.  
  
Helga: I do not! Just because I've walked on his fire escape at two o'clock in the morning chanting something about love, and followed him everywhere while shooting down cans and bottles purposefully shaped like him, or pretended to have amnesia and/or blindness just to be with him, and made up a crazy secret identity just so I could help him save the neighbourhood doesn't mean I like him!  
  
Sid: You forgot that you helped him beat your dad in that "Parents Day" competition and you've leaped into his arms quite a few times... oh, and you kissed him when you were filming "Babewatch" and for a loooooooooooong time in "Romeo and Juliet."  
  
See what I mean? I could go on forever. What's the use of creating characters or plot devices if you aren't going to use them?  
  
And also: The point wasn't really to "shock" anyone. I mean, one could tell Helga was going to have Déjà vu simply by reading the "plot summary" (if you call "Helga begins to have strange dreams that suddenly becom real" a summary). Usually when people have Déjà vu, it's only images, faces or still shots from life (like me. My déjà vu only lasts for a few seconds). I don't think many people have more than just an image. You could be different and have more and actually remember it all, but I'm just writing a fanfiction here! AHHHHHH! Don't take offense at any of this, you must remember, I am a psycho after all.  
  
And I like Jar Jar Binks. I'd hug him, but alas, he is nothing but a Computer Generated character in a movie (that I thought was rootin' tootin' good, back in the days when I was 11). *Sigh* The Real World always ruins all my fun.  
  
And, an actual note on the story, I gave Norman Bates the honor of having his name in here! Everyone give a big round of applause for Norman Bates! ...Okay, that's kinda... wrong, but he's the best damn Psycho this side of the Outer Rim!  
  
Anyway, before this reply gets longer than the story itself, Chapter Six everyone!  
  
CHAPTER SIX: "Discoveries and Ideas"  
  
"Helga, am I to believe that that was another attack of Déjà vu?" Phoebe asked, jogging up beside her.  
  
"Yeah, Phoebe," Helga replied. "It was." She got over to a secluded spot on the playground and sat down. Phoebe soon joined her. "This is getting out of hand, Pheebs!" Helga exclaimed. "What am I going to do to stop this?" Helga thought for a moment, and then was hit with an idea. "I could stop sleeping! Then I won't dream about anything bad happening, and everything will go back to normal."  
  
"That doesn't seem like a wise decision, Helga," Phoebe said. "It would only take a matter of days before you would begin to be even more irritable, you'd always suffer from drowsiness and most likely horrible headaches..." Phoebe paused a moment to think of more side effects. "You'd hallucinate, be less resistant to pain-"  
  
"All right Phoebe!" Helga exclaimed. "I get the point, I don't stop sleeping. But how am I supposed to stop these dreams from happening?"  
  
"What you dream foretells the future," Phoebe said soothingly. "They don't alter it."  
  
"I guess you're right, Phoebe," Helga muttered.  
  
"You should bring it up with Dr. Bliss at your appointment," Phoebe said. "She could give you advice on what to do."  
  
Helga nodded and looked over to where Arnold and the other boys were. Curly and Park had just joined them. Curly had a demonic expression on his face.  
  
"I've figured it out!" Curly said. Park rolled his eyes. "I've figured out what Corn Nuts are!" Harold saw the bag of Corn Nuts and grabbed his stomach.  
  
"Oh man, I'm so HUNGRY!" Harold said. "Gimmie those Corn Nuts!" Harold lunged for them. Curly circumvented the oncoming boy and tripped him. Harold landed on the ground with a thud. He didn't see that he landed on Eugene.  
  
"Ow. My tummy hurts! Mammie!" Harold whined from the ground.  
  
"I'm okay!" Came Eugene's muffled cry from beneath the belly of Harold.  
  
"What did you come to conclude about the Corn Nuts, Curly?" Sid asked.  
  
"They're not corn, and they're not nuts!" Curly exclaimed.  
  
"Well gosh, Curly," Stinky said. "If they ain't what they say they are, what in the heck are they?"  
  
"They're actually demons who were past rulers of the underworld trapped in a small, kernel of. ranch flavored. stuff," Curly said, puzzling over the bag a moment before cackling maniacally and holding the bag high over his head.  
  
"Honestly," Helga said, turning to Phoebe. "I don't see why they haven't already thrown him in the loony bin yet."  
  
"I-I." Phoebe stuttered. "I'm afraid I have to concur."  
  
* * *  
  
Helga walked into the Hillwood Medical Center at 3:25 PM later that day. She was pleased, and she was sure Dr. Bliss would be too. Helga was actually early for a change. Today she had something most urgent to talk to the good Doctor about, and she wanted as much time as she needed to get it all out.  
  
She pushed through the front doors and greeted the receptionist. Helga went up to the second story and found Dr. Bliss's door. She poked her head in and saw Dr. Bliss waiting patiently by the window for her patient.  
  
"Good afternoon, Helga," Dr. Bliss said. "You're early today. Please, have a seat."  
  
"There's something I want to talk to you about, Dr. Bliss," Helga said hurriedly, quickly sitting down on the couch next to Bliss.  
  
"Well, that's what I'm here for, Helga,' Dr. Bliss said. "Tell me what you need to tell me."  
  
Helga informed her about the happenings of the last two days. Bliss listened fastidiously and nodded every now and then.  
  
"Helga, did you ever have anything like this happen to you before?" Bliss asked. Helga thought a moment, and then replied, "No, not that I remember. Not like this."  
  
"I see," Dr. Bliss said, scribbling notes. "Did you have any peculiar dreams before these?"  
  
"Well, yes and no," Helga said, rubbing the back of her neck.  
  
"What does that mean?" Bliss asked.  
  
"I had the same dream over and over for two nights before all this happened," Helga said.  
  
"Describe them."  
  
"The dream was pretty vague," Helga said. "But the ending was pretty easy to understand. See, I'm standing in the park at night. A fog has just rolled in, a really thick fog. I see Arnold stumbling around in it.  
  
"Well, anyway, I try to catch up with him, but I end up falling behind. After a while, he stops and turns around. I think that he sees me, but he's actually trying to navigate his way through the fog. I suddenly lose all ability to walk.  
  
"As I stand helplessly a few feet away from him, I see a shadow rising up in the fog behind him. I try to get his attention, try to get him to turn around and see it, run away or anything, but I can't. He can't see me.  
  
"Suddenly, a knife comes slicing through the fog and into his back." Helga gulped. "I watch for a few more minutes before I actually wake up." She shuddered. "And it's like I know the person who's doing it, but no name actually comes to mind. It's just some guy who escaped from prison. or the asylum."  
  
"I see," Dr. Bliss said coolly. "And you say you had this dream two nights ago?"  
  
"Yeah," Helga said. "Quite a few times. So what do you think I should do?"  
  
"Well Helga," Dr. Bliss said. "I think you should use this situation to your advantage. You could warn Arnold of this event and keep him from ever getting hurt or killed."  
  
"I guess you're right," Helga said. "But what if he doesn't listen to me?"  
  
"I think he will," Dr. Bliss said. "You just have to tell him rationally. Don't use your normal tactics on him."  
  
"What's wrong with my 'normal tactics?'" Helga asked, slightly offended.  
  
"Somehow I don't think writing a note on a spitball and then throwing it at him will get his attention," Dr. Bliss replied jokingly.  
  
"Point taken," Helga said. Dr. Bliss glanced at her watch.  
  
"Oh my," she said. "The session's over." Dr. Bliss rose from her chair and held the door open for Helga. "I'll see you next week, Helga."  
  
"Good bye, Dr. Bliss," Helga said. "Thanks for the advice."  
  
"No problem, Helga," Bliss said pleasantly.  
  
Dr. Bliss watched Helga leave and then shut the door. She walked over to her bookshelf, chuckling at the idea that Helga would have Déjà vu. Bliss switched on the radio during the middle of a news report.  
  
"This just in," The reporter on the radio announced. "It has been reported that known schizophrenic Norman Bates just escaped from the Hilldale asylum and is in the tri-city area. Be on the look out."  
  
Dr. Bliss's jaw dropped. 


	7. Helga's Warning

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know the lot of you are probably screaming at me. "WHY THE HELLO KITTY HAVEN'T YOU WRITTEN IN SO LONG?!"  
  
Two words. WRITERS BLOCK. D'OH! That, and I've been hopelessly in love with Inuyasha. But I finally added more. So here ya go. No heart attacks, and no wreaking havoc upon my house. I think maybe two more chapters left, at the most.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hey Arnold! If I did, then I wouldn't have this here. So there, ya BLOODY SONS OF BUCKSEARGENTS!  
  
"All right, Helga old girl, how are you going to pull this off?" Helga muttered to herself as she walked down the sidewalk to Arnold's house. "How can you tell him to be careful without acting like I care about whether or not he's gonna get hurt?" She stopped and sighed. "There isn't!" She paced back and fourth wildly, putting her hands behind her back. "I COULD slip him a note, but then what if he doesn't find it before." she trailed off and shuddered.  
  
She looked over in the direction she had been walking. Arnold's boardinghouse loomed ahead. "You're just gonna have to tell him right out." Helga thought a moment. "Then again, it's not like the end of the world if I go soft on him for a minute. Nobody's gonna know." She nodded. "Yeah. And I'll deny everything if word ever does get out! That's the plan!"  
  
Helga drew herself to her full height and walked up to the boardinghouse door. She raised her fist to knock, but the door opened and Arnold, who wasn't paying attention, walked right into her. The two of them tumbled down the stoop and landed on the sidewalk.  
  
"Helga!" Arnold cried, jumping to his feet and helping her up. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"What did it look like I was doing, football-head?" Helga demanded. "I was going to knock on your door, but then you plowed over me! Don't you ever watch where you're walking?" Arnold rolled his eyes.  
  
"Why are you here in the first place, Helga?" He asked patiently. Helga fidgeted with her fingers.  
  
"T-To knock on your door," She stuttered. Arnold raised an eyebrow. "I-I mean, I. I need to tell you something."  
  
"What?" Arnold asked.  
  
"It's really important," Helga muttered.  
  
"If it's so important, then go ahead and tell me."  
  
'How do I say this?' Helga asked herself. 'Hey Arnold, I've been having these nightmares lately where you've been brutally murdered by a homicidal maniac? Yeah, he'll REALLY take me seriously then!'  
  
"Arnold, watch your step," Helga said. "Don't walk through the park tonight, or for a while, okay?"  
  
"Why?" Arnold asked.  
  
'I'm not even sure myself,' Helga thought.  
  
"Just don't okay?" She shouted angrily. "Listen to me for once in your hair-brained life, all right?"  
  
"I guess so." Arnold said cautiously.  
  
"Good!"  
  
Helga spun on her heel and walked away, towards her own home. She could only pray that Arnold would listen to her "advice."  
  
Helga arrived home as the sun was setting. She went straight to her room, glancing over at Miriam, who was asleep on the kitchen counter, and Bob, who was watching football and making bets on the phone.  
  
She entered her living space, threw off her shoes, and leaped onto her bed.  
  
"Oh Arnold," She muttered to herself, looking at her closet door. "Please be safe."  
  
She slowly drifted off into slumber.  
  
"Helga Pataki?" Gerald asked skeptically. "Helga Pataki came over to your house and told you not to walk in the park tonight?" He tossed the ball over to Arnold, who was sitting at Gerald's desk.  
  
"Yeah," Arnold said. "She wouldn't tell me why."  
  
"That Helga is one strange girl," Gerald muttered to himself. "Then again, all girls are strange."  
  
"You said it pal," Arnold agreed, looking out the window. "It's getting dark. I should get home."  
  
"All right Arnold," Gerald said, glancing outside. "Looks like fog's coming in. Don't get lost, man."  
  
Arnold nodded and performed his "secret" handshake with Gerald.  
  
Arnold stepped out into the misty evening twilight and walked towards his home. He shivered slightly and decided to cut through the park to save time spent in the fog. Helga was probably just being weird when she had told him to stay away from the park, anyway. What else was new?  
  
Helga shot out of bed, out of breath and panicked.  
  
"He didn't listen to me!" She gasped. "Arnold is going to die!" 


	8. Ignored

AN: The final chapter. DUN DUN DUN. Well, I'm really sorry it took this long, but I just couldn't think of how to write it. I still don't think it came out THAT great, but I guess this will have to do. Thank you so much for your support, and look for more of my different anime fan fictions that might come in the future!  
  
The air was thick with mist and nothing could be seen save for the fog that consumed everything. Arnold stumbled through it, trying to find his way out of it. He drew in a shaky breath and zipped up his sweatshirt. Maybe he should have listened to Helga after all.  
  
He gave up on walking and stood in the mist, shivering, hoping for it to pass soon, though it was doubtful.  
  
Arnold.  
  
Arnold became alert when he thought he heard his name called. He looked from side to side. Nothing.  
  
Crnch.  
  
He whipped around to investigate the sound he heard behind him. Again, there was no visual conformation of anything. He turned back around and saw a very dim light heading towards him. He squinted slightly to make sure it was real, and as the beam broadened he was convinced it was.  
  
He did not notice the knife that glinted in it's pathetic light as it drew nearer and nearer to him.  
  
"Arnold, look out!"  
  
The person holding the beam leaped out and hit something behind him, knocking it over. Arnold rushed over to who it was that attacked the thing, and found that it was-  
  
"Helga?" He asked confused. "What are you.?"  
  
He trailed off when he saw the knife held in the hand of the escaped mental patient, Norman Bates. He lay on the ground, unconscious. Helga flipped out a small purple phone and hurriedly dialed the number of the police.  
  
* * *  
  
Arnold and Helga sat in the station about twenty minutes later, sharing a large blue blanket that had been draped over their shoulders as they waited for their parents (and grandparents) to pick them up.  
  
"How did you know he would be there?" Arnold asked.  
  
After slight hesitation, Helga told him the story of her déjà vu, minus of course any real mention of her concern for his safety.  
  
"I don't understand," Arnold said. "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"  
  
"Would you have bought my story?"  
  
Arnold chuckled weakly.  
  
"I guess not."  
  
Their conversation was cut short when Arnold's grandparents walked through the door and spotted him. They rushed to his side, showering him with affections, making sure he was all right. When they were convinced, they stood and began to leave. Arnold turned as he started to walk out the front door and said, "Thanks, Helga."  
  
She blushed furiously.  
  
"It was no big deal, really!"  
  
He smiled gently and left.  
  
* * *  
  
Beams of sunlight reflected off the gentle waves of the shimmering lake. A young, blonde-haired man took the hand of his female companion's. He looked deep into her sapphire eyes and said softly, "Darling?"  
  
She looked back at him with equal desire.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I love you."  
  
"And I you, Arnold."  
  
"Will you-"  
  
BZZZZZZZZ!  
  
The nagging sound of Helga's alarm clock brought her back to consciousness, though rather reluctantly. She rubbed her forehead, trying to rid herself of the headache induced by the wretched machine.  
  
Yet she was suddenly awakened as she remembered the dream she had just been brought from. And, in light of recent events, she really couldn't help but wonder.  
  
HAD it all been just a crazy dream? 


End file.
